Telephonic communications – Plural exchange network or interconnection
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-30
2004-08-31
Smith, Creighton (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Plural exchange network or interconnection
Reexamination Certificate
active
06785374
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to communications networks that support internal use of session initiation protocol (SIP).
BACKGROUND
Various kinds of communications networks are known. Many traditional switch-based communications networks (such as many Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN)) utilize signaling system 7 (SS7) signaling protocol to effect their own internal messaging needs including the exchange of transaction capabilities application part (TCAP) information. TCAP information comprises a variety of value-added information items that are typically stored in a database and that relate to general or specific functionality of the network (including, for example, information to effect routing services and functionality such as toll-free calling, call-forwarding, local number portability, and so forth). Other networks, however, and particularly more modern networks that comprise a so-called soft switch, rely upon other internal signaling protocols such as, for example, SIP.
Protocols such as SS7 and SIP are not inherently compatible with one another. As a result, an SS7 network cannot directly communicate with an SIP network. Such network-to-network communications, however, are often nevertheless necessary. Such need arises in part due to the substantial legacy base of installed SS7 networks. Although SIP-based soft switch networks offer numerous advantages over more traditional SS7 networks, in many cases a newer SIP-compatible network is simply added into a communications fabric that already includes one or more SS7 networks.
Signaling gateways, such as SS7/SIP signaling gateways, exist to facilitate the intercoupling of such incompatible systems. To a large extent such signaling gateways are a useful and successful tool and permit, for example, the establishment and maintenance of a call that originates in a first network (such as an SIP network) and terminates in or otherwise passes through a second network (such as an SS7 network). Unfortunately, there are many transactions, including various kind of calls, that the simple connectivity offered by a signaling gateway does not sufficiently address. For example, an originating call in an SIP-based network that requires TCAP information as resides within a linked SS7 PSTN-based network presently does not have the benefit of ready access to such TCAP information notwithstanding the existence of a link between the two networks as effected via the signaling gateway. Without such information, call setup may be delayed or even ultimately frustrated.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6421674 (2002-07-01), Yoakum et al.
patent: 6647113 (2003-11-01), McCann et al.
patent: 6662017 (2003-12-01), McCann et al.
Grabelsky David
Homeier Michael
Tripathi Anoop
Wang Guanglu
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for providing transaction capabilities... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for providing transaction capabilities..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for providing transaction capabilities... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3338671